Meow Recipes: Yummy Salmon Burgers with Slaw

This recipe is an easy weeknight fan-favorite and was originally published in 2020!

These salmon burgers. They are just so extremely good.

We’re talking crispy outsides, flaky insides, and a perfect golden color, not to mention lots of nutrition, THANK YOU SALMON.

They are also easy to make and require (usually) minimal, if not zero, grocery shopping, assuming you keep a decently stocked pantry. I love, love, love these crispy pan-fried little guys.

And as if the salmon burgers weren’t good enough already to eat on their own (which, um, they are), I need you to make this slaw to serve your salmon burgers in/on/around. It is nothing fancy – just a shredded cabbage, yogurt, herbs, garlic, and vinegar situation, but paired with the salmon burgers? The crispy-salty-tangy combo is an ON-POINT combo.

Check Out Our Video For How To Make Salmon Burgers:

Ingredients For These Salmon Burgers

This recipe is a pantry staple dream! Here’s what you’ll need:

Salmon (canned, or pre-cooked)
Eggs
Breadcrumbs
Spices
Lemon juice
Olive oil
Salt
Herbs

I really love to have these salmon burgers with a little fresh dill for the herbs for a big flavor punch. BUT you can also use 1) freeze-dried dill, which I keep in my spice collection year-round, and 2) any other fresh herb! I made a version of these with parsley and cilantro when I didn’t have any dill, and mwah. They were still totally delicious.

Dill would still be my first choice, but as with all my favorite recipes, you can play with that a little bit.

Slaw for salmon burgers in a mixing bowl.

What Kind Of Salmon Is Best?

And now for the big question. Do you use canned salmon? Subtext: is it gross?

Answer: Yes, I use canned salmon, and NO, it most certainly is not gross in these salmon burgers if you are buying the right stuff.

Fresh salmon that you’ve already cooked would also work if canned salmon is too weird for you (see our how-to guide to cooking salmon). But I’d like to take a moment to assure you that it is very possible to find non-gross canned salmon if you do a little searching and are willing to spend a little extra for higher quality. I really like Wild Planet canned salmon. It is caught in Alaska, and Wild Planet prioritizes sustainability and conservation of marine ecosystems with all their products. Not sponsored, just a superfan. You can also buy it here on Amazon (affiliate link). And because it’s canned, you can just keep it in your pantry and have it at the ready whenever you need a little salmon burger happiness.

God bless pantry meals.

How You’ll Make These Salmon Burgers Happen

What I love about this recipe is that it’s not just pantry-friendly, but also omg-it’s-5pm-and-I-need-dinner-now friendly. Here’s what you’re going to do.

Mix all your salmon burger ingredients in a bowl and form them into patties (this should make 3-4!).
Sear the salmon patties in a hot skillet with oil until brown and crispy on each side.
Toss your slaw ingredients together in a bowl.
Serve your delicious salmon burgers on top of a bed of crunchy slaw!

Ta da! You’re done.

What Else To Serve with These Salmon Burgers

As made abundantly clear, I love these on top of this slaw for a fresh little high-protein lunch situation, but as always, you have options!

Make the slaw part even easier and grab your favorite salad kit from the store! (See: these Spicy Salmon Burgers too)
Plop these on a bun to make it a true burger (maybe even topped with the slaw!? or just some yogurt, avocado, mayo, tomato, whatever)
Serve it as a main protein alongside some potatoes or rice, veggies, or a simple salad

Salmon Burgers: Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use fresh salmon instead of canned?

Absolutely! But this recipe is meant to be made with cooked salmon. Just just be sure to cook and flake your salmon before mixing it all up. Don’t know how to cook salmon? We’ve got you covered!

Can I freeze these burgers?

Yup! I would probably mix and form them into patties, and then freeze. When ready to cook, you should be able to just put them right from frozen into a pan! Just let them cook a little longer so they’re hot all the way through.

How long do these burgers keep?

These will keep for about 3 days in the fridge, and 3 months in the freezer.

How do you know when the burgers are done?

Since the only raw ingredient we’re working with is egg (thank you, cooked salmon!), you should make sure these are cooked to at least 160 degrees in the middle.

How can I make these burgers gluten-free?

Easy! Swap in the breadcrumbs for GF breadcrumbs or almond flour.

How can I make these burgers dairy-free?

Just switch out the slaw dressing and you’ll be golden! Highly recommend this 5 Minute Sunshine Sauce.

Can I grill these burgers?

Sure thing! Just make sure your grill grates are nice and hot and well-oiled.

Salmon Burgers with Slaw

4.9 from 84 reviews

Author: Lindsay
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 3-4 burgers

Print Recipe

Description

These salmon burgers are THE YUMMIEST! and made with just five ingredients. The best for a quick + easy high protein lunch or dinner.

Ingredients

Units

Salmon Burgers

12–14 ounces cooked salmon
2 eggs
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs, like chives, parsley, and dill
a squeeze of lemon juice
olive oil for pan-frying

Cabbage Slaw:

1 head green cabbage, finely shredded
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
2–3 tablespoons white distilled vinegar (more to taste)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs like chives, parsley, and dill
a drizzle of olive oil

Instructions

Video

For the salmon: Flake the salmon apart. Mix all burger ingredients together and form into 3 large or 4 medium patties. Heat olive oil over medium heat, ideally in a nonstick skillet. Fry the burgers for a few minutes on each side until golden brown and crispy. Place on a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with salt.
For the slaw: Mix all slaw ingredients together. Taste and adjust.
Serve: Serve up those hot salmon burgers on a bed of creamy slaw. I top mine with a dollop of extra yogurt and a swizzle of oil and more herbs. Can’t stop me.

Notes

Breadcrumbs are important here. Panko gives a really nice texture whereas whole wheat breadcrumbs would be a good choice if you want to skip the refined grains. If you use a seasoned breadcrumb mix, reduce the amount of salt in the burgers by about 1/2.

For the salmon, you could use leftover steamed, poached, grilled, baked, whatever kinda salmon. If you don’t have any cooked salmon handy, use canned salmon! That’s what I usually do. I would recommend looking for a brand of canned salmon that is caught in the US. I really, really like Wild Planet for quality canned salmon. You can read more about their sourcing/fishing methods here.

If you happen to have a jar of Sunshine Sauce in your fridge, use that to make the slaw! Just mix cabbage with yogurt, add some Sunshine Sauce, and polish it off with a little dill. Super yummy.

The burgers will keep pretty well in the fridge (~3 days) or freezer (~3 months). When you’re ready to eat, pop them in a nonstick skillet to reheat because it will retain crispiness! The slaw, however, is best eaten right away. It probably has one day max in the fridge once it’s been mixed up.

Gluten Free: We tried three different GF options – almond flour, crushed Chex cereal, and GF oats. All three turned out to be great substitutes, but we liked the smooth texture and flavor of the almond flour version the best. Almond meal would work just as well too.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Category: Dinner
Method: Fry
Cuisine: American